When Athletic Trainers Are Stretched Too Thin, Athletes Feel the Impact

Athletic Trainers are used to juggling multiple responsibilities. But what happens when there simply aren't enough of them to meet the needs of every athlete?

At Simpson College in Iowa, student-athletes are speaking up about how limited Athletic Training coverage is affecting their access to care.

According to a report in the student newspaper, The Simpsonian, the college has six full-time Athletic Trainers serving 656 student-athletes. That's an average of approximately 109 athletes per Athletic Trainer.

Each Athletic Trainer covers multiple teams, often working 10 to 12 hours or more per day during the season, including evenings and weekends.

For athletes, that can mean difficulty scheduling treatments or getting an injury evaluated.

Sophomore wrestler Caterina Barriga told The Simpsonian that she sets an alarm every Sunday evening so she can book an appointment as soon as the following week's schedule becomes available.

Even then, appointments can fill quickly.

“If I want to get cupped for something that is just bugging me, I feel bad taking up Maxie’s time because I don’t want to take away time from other people who are actually hurt,” Barriga said.

Football player Noah Noland described similar challenges, emphasizing that the Athletic Trainers are doing everything they can.

“They can only see so many people during the day,” Noland said. “With the limited number of trainers, some people struggling with injuries just aren’t able to get seen.”

Noland believes additional staffing would benefit both athletes and Athletic Trainers, particularly those covering large teams with demanding schedules.

The situation highlights a broader challenge in collegiate sports medicine. Athletic Trainers are responsible for injury evaluations, treatments, rehabilitation, documentation, and coverage at practices and competitions. But they can't be in two places at once.

And when staffing doesn't match the needs of an athletic program, everyone feels the strain.

The athletes at Simpson College aren't asking their Athletic Trainers to work harder. They're asking for enough Athletic Trainers to provide the care their teams need.